About Us

Liz Carlsoncarlsonclassroom.weebly.com/​Middle School- Science with a Biology Focus & Beginner English: from Paragraphs to Papers​Your child isn't a Model T and their education shouldn't follow the factory model; God in his infinitive wisdom created your child to be a unique individual with strengths and challenges. I have designed my classes with the ability to adjust to your family's needs. As a homeschool mom of four rambunctious boys, I understand the beauty and challenges of homeschooling wiggly, giggly, and at times unmotivated learners. I believe that many middle schoolers still need hands-on creative learning opportunities to thrive, but I also know that those opportunities can be difficult to fit into a busy schedule. My classes will make sure that the hands-on component of your curriculum isn't neglected. I want to support your goals of academic learning, and strive to eliminate the stress that comes from having your child participate in a class.​Teaching middle school students and helping to make your homeschool journey a success is my passion. I graduated from Union University with a degree in Elementary Education. Before I became a homeschool mom, I worked at Haywood Junior High where I received Teacher of the Year in 2010. Since 2015 I have worked with homeschool students and families. Last year, I joined with Jackson Tutorial to offer Edventure middle school classes at First Baptist Church.

Brook Halfordwww.bhalford.org/​Middle School- History & Advanced English​High School-American History​I have over 12 years of experience in education. I began my educational career as a middle school and high school History teacher, and expanded my teaching horizons to journalism, student government, psychology, and geography. I hold a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Utah, and a master’s degree in United States History from the University of Hawaii. I have spent the past seven years as a college history professor, teaching both American Civilizations and World Civilizations. Recently transplanted to the Jackson area, I am eager to work within the homeschool community to help students foster an understanding of the importance of history and an appreciation for its role in our modern world. Currently enjoying the adventure of homeschooling my own three children, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family and finding new adventures around every corner.

I was homeschooled kindergarten through ninth grade and attended private school in tenth and eleventh grade. After graduating at the age of 16, I took classes at a small Christian college while still living at home my senior year of high school before transferring to Union University where I began school as a double major Computer Science and Mathematics. As a freshman, I realized my desire was to teach math, so I changed my major to Education.

After marrying my husband, Robert Rickett, who has a math degree, I graduated from Union University in 2005 with a degree in Education and am certified to teach pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. I taught sixth grade math, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra I in a public school for two years. I then moved to a private school where I taught math for an additional two years to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders and an Algebra II course until my first child was born. I now home school my two children in kindergarten and third grade. My passion for teaching and love for math in the middle school and early high school range gives me a desire to instill in other students the love of mathematics that we share in our household. If you choose to come sit around the Rickett table as we learn math together, I pray you will be blessed.​

​I am excited to be joining the wonderful group of teachers at Jackson Tutorial! I am a writer, a homeschooling mom to four great kids, and a lover of literature and history. Originally from Seattle, WA I am a happy transplant to the South, having lived in Arkansas and Tennessee 8 years now. I hold a B.A. in English Literature from Pepperdine University, and I have studied Shakespeare and Modern British poetry as part of study abroad program at Cambridge University in England. ​I love discussing, analyzing, and thinking about great books and authors, and sharing this passion with my students. I truly believe the skills gained in studying literature – critical thinking, reading texts closely, gaining insight into people and ideas of the past, to name just a few – are invaluable tools for all people to possess. Whether your child loves books, or endures them, my hope is they will learn this year how to appreciate literature and what it has to offer us all – and that they will have a whole lot of fun in the process!I am very excited to be teaching creative writing this fall. As a writer, I am currently working on a middle grade novel (for ages 8-14), which has been my joy and arch-nemesis at times over these past 3 years. I have also written short stories, poetry, short plays, and when I have time, I write sporadically at my blog: www.writingathomewithhippos.blogspot.com

Jon Jonesjacksonlanguages.weebly.comHigh School- Latin​I come from middle Tennessee. My passion growing up was playing basketball, but that changed when my family hosted a German exchange student in my senior year of high school. Getting to know Timo that year exposed me to culture and life and changed me in ways that I never could have imagined--especially through the power of language. After I returned from a 3 week visit to see his family in Munich, I came to Jackson to attend Union University. Unsure of what I wanted to study, I signed up for any language course that Union would offer. Most of my time in undergrad was spent studying Spanish, Greek, or Hebrew, and I loved it (I studied Latin later when I attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary). As soon as I graduated from Union, Carrie and I married and I began teaching Spanish for the public school system. Now, more than a decade later, I still find languages as fascinating as ever. I also love to study, teach, build things with wood, and read with my wife and 5 children.

B.S. in education from Louisiana State University with majors in English and Speech.

Additional study at Union University in Jackson, TN

I recently retired after serving for twenty-five years in the Jackson-Madison County School System. I taught seventh grade language arts for eleven years at Tigrett Middle School before moving on to Madison Academic Magnet High School to teach speech. During my early years at Madison, I created the curriculum for the forensics/debate class (Speech II,III), which became the foundation for the Forensics and Debate team. I was privileged to coach many talented students during my fourteen years at Madison Academic. Our team competed through the Tennessee High School Speech and Drama League. Madison produced three state champions as well as numerous other competitors who placed at the top of their events during the years in which I served as forensics/debate coach. My greatest joy comes from seeing students grow in their ability to present themselves with confidence and to take those skills with them into their college and career pursuits.

My love of speech and communication began in high school but flourished at LSU where I was fortunate to study under legendary professors of oral interpretation and debate. I was overjoyed when I was presented with the opportunity to teach speech full time at Madison.

FAMILY My husband Michael recently retired from the music department of Union University after twenty-nine years of teaching private voice, church music, singers’ diction, and opera workshop. He has continued to serve as a part-time minister of music throughout West Tennessee and is currently the minister of music at Sand Ridge Baptist Church in Lexington, Tennessee.

We have three wonderful children and five beautiful grandchildren.

We love to travel as much as we can. Our favorite destinations usually involve grandchildren visits, opera performances, and LSU Tiger sports events. Geaux Tigers!

My name is Peggy Sheppard. I am a Christian, wife, and mother of three girls (17, 12, and 5). My family and I have a hobby farm where we raise and rescue llamas (with a few other critters thrown in as well). I have an Associates of Applied Science Degree in Legal Assisting from St. Louis Community College and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Fontbonne University in St. Louis.

I have spent my entire 25+ year career in the legal field. I have worked for numerous law firms of various sizes and have supported attorneys in many different areas of the law. Most notably, I have worked as a Case Manager and Deputy Clerk for the United States Circuit Court of Appeals in the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis (I got to bang the gavel in the second highest court in the land – pretty cool!). I have also taught in a paralegal program at a collegiate level. I currently work remotely for a law firm in Chicago. My plan over the next year is to start my own business as a freelance paralegal, contracting for attorneys and financial firms across West Tennessee.​While my experiences lie mostly within the judicial branch of the government, we all know that the three branches go hand-in-hand. I am excited to use my knowledge and experiences to teach your children the importance of our governmental system and how the government and the economy affect our day-to-day lives. The biggest moral lesson I want them to take from either class is this: You can choose to let our government and economy mold you, or you can set out to mold our government and economy.

​I have a Bachelor's Degree in Microbiology From Mississippi University for Women. I have over 15 years of Lab experience.​My husband Bill and I moved with our family to the Jackson area 4 years ago when he began teaching at Union. He teaches in the Biology department Union and is head of the Hammonds Center. He has a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and got his undergraduate degree from Brown University.​​​I spent 12 years between 1990 and 2002 using my degree in various positions from Quality Control in a Manufacturing plant to sales in a Chemical company. In all of those positions I got to develop skills that would broaden my education past my Microbiology degree. I learned to work as a team. I learned that Chemistry was an important subject and I should have paid better attention in college. I learned how to be a leader and a teacher in supervisory positions.

I left full time work in April of 2002 when Bill and I began our Family. I have worked part-time over the Years. One of my favorites was a part time recruiting position for St Jude Research Hospital. My husband was working as a Lab Manager there at the time. So not only did we get to see each other some during the day but it was interesting to see the inner workings of that amazing machine.

We began our homescooling journey when my oldest entered third grade. It is hard to believe I now have 2 in high school. We can't imagine what our lives would be like if we weren't homeschooling.

I taught Biology and Chemistry for two years at Homelife Tutorial. This experience taught me that I really enjoy teaching in a classroom. Two years ago Tina Shreeve and I were in a position to be able to begin what has now grown into the Jackson Tutorial. I am excited to see what it has grown into. This will mark the beginning of my 5th year of classroom teaching. I look forward to being able to share my love of science with your child.